The Mission of Prophet Shu’aib and the Fate of the People of Madyan

Al-A'raf — Verses 85–93 | Explore this Quran theme on Muallim

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۗ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ٨٥

And to (the people of) Madyan (Midian), (We sent) their brother Shu'aib. He said: "O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. [La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)]." Verily, a clear proof (sign) from your Lord has come unto you; so give full measure and full weight and wrong not men in their things, and do not mischief on the earth after it has been set in order, that will be better for you, if you are believers.

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۗ
And to (the people of) Madyan (Midian), (We sent) their brother Shu'aib.
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا
He said: 'O my people! Worship Allah!
لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ قَدْ
You have no other Ilah (God) but Him.
جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا
Verily, a clear proof (sign) from your Lord has come unto you;
الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا
so give full measure and full weight
تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا
and wrong not men in their things,
تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ
and do not mischief on the earth after it has been set in order,
خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
that will be better for you, if you are believers.

وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۖ وَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ٨٦

"And sit not on every road, threatening, and hindering from the Path of Allah those who believe in Him. and seeking to make it crooked. And remember when you were but few, and He multiplied you. And see what was the end of the Mufsidun (mischief-makers, corrupts, liars).

وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ
And sit not on every road,
تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
threatening, and hindering from the Path of Allah
مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ
those who believe in Him.
وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ
and seeking to make it crooked.
وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًا
And remember when you were but few,
فَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۖ
and He multiplied you.
وَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
And see what was the end of the Mufsidun (mischief-makers, corrupts, liars).

وَإِن كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنكُمْ آمَنُوا بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَطَائِفَةٌ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا ۚ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ ٨٧

"And if there is a party of you who believes in that with which I have been sent and a party who do not believe, so be patient until Allah judges between us, and He is the Best of judges."

وَإِن كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنكُمْ
And if there is a party of you
آمَنُوا بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ
who believes in that with which I have been sent
وَطَائِفَةٌ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا
and a party who do not believe
فَاصْبِرُوا
so be patient
حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا ۚ
until Allah judges between us
وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ
and He is the Best of judges

۞ قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا ۚ قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَارِهِينَ ٨٨

The chiefs of those who were arrogant among his people said: "We shall certainly drive you out, O Shu'aib, and those who have believed with you from our town, or else you (all) shall return to our religion." He said: "Even though we hate it!

۞ قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ
The chiefs of those who were arrogant among his people said:
لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ
We shall certainly drive you out, O Shu'aib, and those who have believed with you from our town,
لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا ۚ قَالَ
or else you (all) shall return to our religion.
أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَارِهِينَ
He said: 'Even though we hate it!'

قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا إِنْ عُدْنَا فِي مِلَّتِكُم بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّانَا اللَّهُ مِنْهَا ۚ وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَن نَّعُودَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا ۚ وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا ۚ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ ٨٩

"We should have invented a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion, after Allah has rescued us from it. And it is not for us to return to it unless Allah, our Lord, should will. Our Lord comprehends all things in His Knowledge. In Allah (Alone) we put our trust. Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth, for You are the Best of those who give judgment."

قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا
We should have invented a lie against Allah
إِنْ عُدْنَا فِي مِلَّتِكُم بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّانَا اللَّهُ مِنْهَا ۚ
if we returned to your religion, after Allah has rescued us from it.
وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَن نَّعُودَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا ۚ
And it is not for us to return to it unless Allah, our Lord, should will.
وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا ۚ
Our Lord comprehends all things in His Knowledge.
عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا ۚ
In Allah (Alone) we put our trust.
رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ
Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth,
وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ
for You are the Best of those who give judgment.

وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ ٩٠

The chiefs of those who disbelieved among his people said (to their people): "If you follow Shu'aib, be sure then you will be the losers!"

وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ
And the chiefs said
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ
of those who disbelieved among his people
لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا
If you follow Shu'aib
إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ
be sure then you will be the losers!

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ ٩١

So the earthquake seized them and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes.

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ
So the earthquake seized them
فَأَصْبَحُوا
and they lay (dead)
فِي دَارِهِمْ
prostrate in their homes.

الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا ۚ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا كَانُوا هُمُ الْخَاسِرِينَ ٩٢

Those who belied Shu'aib, became as if they had never dwelt there (in their homes). Those who belied Shu'aib, they were the losers.

الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا
Those who belied Shu'aib
كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا ۚ
became as if they had never dwelt there (in their homes)
الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا شُعَيْبًا
they were the losers

فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ آسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ ٩٣

Then he (Shu'aib) turned from them and said: "O my people! I have indeed conveyed my Lord's Messages unto you and I have given you good advice. Then how can I sorrow for the disbelieving people's (destruction)."

فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ
Then he (Shu'aib) turned from them
وَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ
and said: 'O my people!
أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ
I have indeed conveyed my Lord's Messages unto you
لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ
and I have given you good advice.
آسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ
Then how can I sorrow for the disbelieving people's (destruction).